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Luke 10:18-14“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Who were the Pharisees that the Bible discusses?

‘Pharisee’ came from the Greek word pharisaios, which was formed out of the Hebrew/Aramaic word perisha- which means ‘Separated one’. In the time of the New Testament there were three main Jewish sects: the Essenes, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees.

Out of these three, the Pharisees were thought to be the most separated from the foreign influences that were integrating into the Jewish faith, and also from the ways of the common folk.

It is believed that the Pharisee sect began in the third century B.C. before the Maccabean wars. During this time they were being dominated by the Greeks- and it was found that the Jewish people began to allow and accept the Greek culture, as well as integrating their pagan religious beliefs into their own.

This migration sparked a protest among the Jewish religious leaders, and from this protest rose the Pharisees. Their goal was the keep the integrity of the Jewish faith and culture and ensure strict adherence to Mosaic law.

Unfortunately, as we see in the New Testament, they grew to be a self-righteous group of hypocrites. This would culminate in their eventual condemnation and murder of Jesus Christ.

Jesus himself called them out in the book of Matthew.

Matthew 23:13-14“You Pharisees and teachers of the law are in for trouble! Your nothing but show-offs. You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. You won’t go in yourselves, and you keep others from going in.”

He goes on to say in verses 27-28: “You Pharisees and teachers are in for trouble! Your nothing but show-offs. You’re like tombs that have been whitewashed. On the outside they are beautiful, but inside they are full of bones and filth. That’s what you are like. Outside you look good, but inside you are evil and only pretend to be good.”

I asked this question in the title of my blog post: Are We in Danger of Being Like the Biblical Pharisees?

Let’s think about this for a few minutes. It isn’t necessarily an easy thing to contemplate, especially about ourselves. I’ve written some on this topic previously, but I feel that it is not only very important, but also a dangerous trap that we can fall into if we are not careful.

Let’s contemplate what it means to be a Christian. What are some of the things that come to mind? Faith in Christ, certainly. Worship, Attending church, tithing, and praying are all on the list. Does it stop there? Sometimes I think that it does for some Christians.

I heard a sermon once about “Sunday Christians” that really made me think. These Christians are some of the most “spiritual” people you’d ever meet. They were at church every Sunday, worshiped, prayed, and were in every appearance the model of what a Christian should be. Except that as soon as they exited the doors of the church when the service was finished they dropped their facade. They behaved like their unsaved friends on every other day of the week- only changing for appearances sake one day a week. If you saw them outside of church, you’d never know they followed Christ.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I am in no way saying that every Christian is this way, not even close. What I am saying is that we must be careful that we do not get caught up in the appearance of Christianity, and forget to actually live in a way that reaches people for Christ.

That’s the thing, isn’t it? The thing we lose track of sometimes in our daily bustle. The reaching people part. It isn’t always enjoyable, and it can be uncomfortable at times. It is easier to ignore or “forget” that we have this mandate, this commission and focus on the other portions of our faith. However it is so terribly important that we do not.

This is where some of the hypocrisy can seep in. Sure, we need to bring others to Christ, but unless they fit a certain criteria it would be too uncomfortable to approach them. They certainly cannot be homeless or poor, LGBT, mentally ill, covered in tattoos, or a minority of some kind. How could you possibly relate to them? (Sarcasm, of course!)

Have we forgotten that these are the types of people that Jesus went out of His way to reach?

I saw a quote on Twitter the other day that really made me stop and think.

“Love the sinner- hate YOUR sin.”

What this means to me is that we are not called to judge them for sinning differently than we do. We are called to love them, and show them the same love that Christ has for them.

Don’t fake your walk with Christ, whether you are saved or not. It is too important not to jump in fully committed.

Romans 12:2“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

We must stand apart. How else will others know we have something so important that they need? Don’t be like the Pharisees of the New Testament- rather let’s strive together to be like Jesus.

With the advance of technology it has become so incredibly easy to access the internet from almost any part of the globe. I don’t even need a physical computer anymore; I am writing this blog post from my cell phone. It really is an incredible thing.

However today I’m discussing a more serious issue, an issue that is made, unfortunately, considerably more easy because of technology. I wanted to write about bullying, and even more specifically the rise of cyberbullying.

Stopbullying.gov defines cyberbullying as:

“Bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites. Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles.”

Generally when discussing statistics or stories about cyberbullying we think of children in schools, but many adults face cyberbullying as well. A Pew Research Study survey found that almost 75% of American Adults have witnessed online harassment, with 40% reporting to be the victim of it. These are not low numbers.

Sometimes it can seem harmless enough. A picture shared, a simple joke among friends. Many times I have seen a topic joked about simply because the person is uncomfortable about it, or doesn’t understand or agree with it.

This is a dangerous place to find yourself. Putting someone else down for your own amusement is far from pleasant, it is extremely hurtful.

As a Transgender woman, I am not immune from this. It is so easy to attack people that you will never meet, and it is not fun. I am constantly being attacked for who I am, and have even received death threats. I am not going to lie, sometimes it is overwhelming.

Lately I’ve noticed an increased number of “memes” (image, video, piece of text, etc. that is copied/shared and spreads rapidly via the internet) that involves a picture of someone that does not conform not “traditional” beauty standards. These images are hurtful. I know that several people on my own friends list will read this and roll their eyes. They will say that I’m either overreacting, or that people get their feelings hurt too easily.

I beg to differ, though. I think more people should be offended by things like this. Our society puts such a pressure on conforming and looking/behaving a certain way- way too much. Imagine then, if you already have such low self-esteem because you do not feel as though you fit in, and find out your image was used as a JOKE on the internet?

Cyberbullying does not limit itself to image alone. Many people in the LGBT community struggle with attacks and many minorities and people of color (poc) do as well.

It is easy to sit behind your computer, or your cellphone and type out hurtful words and threats when you don’t have to look that person in the eye.

4,400 people between the ages of 10 and 24 kill themselves each year because of bullying. This is both terrifying and PREVENTABLE.

Please think about your words and actions. They are not trivial, and can have a lasting affect on the people around you. Your harmless joke may be painful and hurtful towards someone else.

If you are a victim of cyberbullying, or threatened in any way please get help. I have included some links below. Reach out. You are not alone.

Life here on Earth can be messy, painful, and stressful. We will all experience some form of struggle during our lives. Of course we know that there can be such joy in our lives, but those bad times can be so incredibly difficult.
We as Christian’s know in our minds that God is there, but in these hard situations sometimes it can feel like God is so far away in the physical here and now.

In all honesty, no matter how often we feel God’s hand in and on a situation there are those other times when He lets our situations grow into a seemingly impossible circumstance. It’s in these times of trial and hardship that we (I know I can’t be the only one) sometimes ask the Father why He would allow this thing to happen to us.

Why do we ask this? I don’t actually believe it is from a lack of faith, but rather because we know who God is,the all-powerful, all-knowing, loving Father- we want Him to intervene in our circumstances and help us.

Unfortunately this can be where the aforementioned lack of faith comes in. When God happens to decide not to answer our prayer the way we requested or expect, we can begin to doubt.

The thing we have to realize, though, is that God sees things on a much bigger (and let’s face it- a much farther) scale than we do. He is not bound by our time table, and certainly not required to conform to our expectations. If He did this He would not be Master, but servant only. Does He love us? Absolutely! Does He want what’s best for us? Always. This means though that what’s best for us isn’t always what we expect.

I have heard people call God callous or heartless because of something very difficult that has happened to them. God is never to blame for what we go through, and yet He loves us so much. He doesn’t want us to struggle or to be in pain. He cares for us.

Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are?”

I believe that God allows us to experience some of these terrible things so that we truly believe in His power and love for us.

This brings to my mind the story of Lazarus in John 11. A short time before His crucifixion Jesus was sent a message that His dear friend Lazarus was very sick. His friends sister’s, Mary and Martha were expecting Him (Jesus) to rush to their house and heal their brother.

He said in John 11:4-6 “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”Now Jesus loves Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days.”

So instead of rushing to His friends side, He waited two more days. Why did He do this?

He explains in John 11:14 “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

When Christ finally makes it to Mary and Martha’s home, He discovers that their brother had been dead for four days. Mary is understandably upset, and while crying told Jesus that if He had been there, Lazarus would be alive.

Her belief wasn’t an issue. She knew already that Jesus had the power to intervene and heal her brother. I am almost positive that she was hurt, confused, and heartbroken that Jesus didn’t seem to have cared enough about her family and arrive in time to save Lazarus.

However, Jesus identified and understood her pain, after all- Lazarus was His dear friend.

John 11:33-35 “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” He asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept.”

By this time Lazarus’ sisters, and the people who had gathered had to have expected that this was the end of it. However, it was then that Jesus chose to act and miraculously brought Lazarus back to life! Through this action He not only showed them His love, but also revealed Himself as Messiah. He chose to do this in this manner so that they would not just know who He was in their minds, but also experienced a life-changing event and believed in His power and love.

It would have been easy for Jesus to heal Lazarus, in fact I’m sure He wanted to. However, by choosing to wait He was able to truly show His power, and gave them faith that no matter what they went through they could trust that He was going to be there for them.

Are you going through a difficult or seemingly impossible circumstance? I just want you to know that Jesus is always there for you, no matter how dark it may seem. He wants to comfort you in the midst of your suffering, and wants to do something amazing for you. It may not be in the way we expect, but His plan has always and will always be better than our own.

He promises to always be there for us, and that He will never leave us. We are not alone. What an absolute comfort!

“Christians are not perfect people. They are normal human beings that make mistakes just like everyone else. The difference is that they are not defined by their mistakes because they have put their faith and trust in a perfect God.”

There seems to be a misconception about Christians that I wanted to address tonight. I have been told by more than one person that Christians are nothing more than hypocrites who enjoy making others feel badly about themselves. This really hurts, but it hurts worse when I can see where they might have gotten that impression.

I had two conversations today about the church- once with my mother and then again with a good friend of mine. I discussed why I’m so passionate about reaching out to those that may have felt abandoned by the church. I drew a couple of things away from those talks that I wanted to share with you.

First, I find it so interesting (and yet terribly sad) that many church-going people today closely resemble the Pharisees mentioned in the Bible. They go to church habitually, pray, worship- and yet are so completely rigid and unemotional when it comes to talking about Christ to someone who doesn’t fit their “cookie cutter” version of faith.

Luke 18:9-14“And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: Two men went to up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Second, The Great Commission is something that every Christian is called to partake in- that is, reaching other people and sharing who Christ really is with them. One of things that strikes me as odd is this belief that we can look down on others, ostracize, belittle, and talk about them behind their backs because they do not hold to the same things we do, and still reach them for Christ! Judging other people will not bring them into the kingdom. That is not our job. We are to love them- we are to pray for them, and we are to reach out to them!

Matthew 28:16-20“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

If you have been hurt by someone in the Church, I’d first like to apologize. Second I’d simply like to ask that you not turn away from Christ because of the actions of a few people. Christians are just that- people. We make mistakes.

I am so thankful that I serve a God who can turn a mistake I’ve made into something beautiful. He (God) is not bound by the box that we put Him in. He sees you, He loves you, and He wants to be reunited with you.

I debated writing a blog post about the Military Ban President Trump tweeted about on Wednesday, July 26th- but honestly, what is the point?

I am not saying that it is not something that should be discussed, not at all! I think it is an important issue and it desperately needs to be addressed before people get hurt. What I mean is that the problem isn’t going to be addressed by a blog post, it goes too deep and too wide to be covered and handled that way.

The problem I am discussing is this idea that Transgender people are a burden and a disruption to society. In one single blow, (or rather three small tweets) the president was able to invalidate Transgender lives, and undermine the progress we have been making.

By claiming we are a burden on society it is now in the minds of cishet Americans that they shouldn’t have to accept us, or think of us as human beings because we are a “problem”. This erasure and demeaning attitude will cost lives if it is allowed to continue.

Transgender people are NOT burdens. We are simply people trying to survive in a world that has shown us repeatedly that they believe us to be lesser beings. We are not a disruption to society because we exist, we are a disruption to society because we provide a nice scapegoat for an administration that is trying to alleviate some of the attention on him caused by his dealings with Russia.

I made a new friend today. She was a Marine who proudly served our country. She came out as a Transgender woman after leaving the service- THIS is who Trump is trying to say is a burden on society- someone who fought for our rights and freedoms.

I am disgusted with the amount of hateful trolls that have come out of the woodwork since this was announced. Oh, I know that they existed before, and that they thought this way already- but now they are validated by the man they elected into office.

I am not in the military, nor will I ever enlist because of reasons that are my own. That being said, this ban will affect all Transgender and gender non conforming people in the near future, if it is not already. Why? If those people who have put their lives on the line are not safe, not protected- not RESPECTED for their service, how long do you think it will be before Civilians are targeted as burdens and disruptions?

I am not trying to make something out of nothing. I am not trying fear tactics, or spreading inflammatory rhetoric. I am simply trying to state that Transgender people have a right to exist freely and openly- without the contempt and having to endure the painful and damaging thoughts of those who think we do not deserve to exist.

I am sorry that it has taken me so long to write an update. To be honest, a lot has happened in my life in the past few weeks and so it has taken a lot of energy from me. I finally feel that I am in a place where I can write it down coherently.

On June 16th, 2017 my spouse and I were legally divorced after 10 years of marriage. This was very difficult, and a very emotional time for me. I did not want it, but I do want her to be happy. I am glad that she gets to start over and be happy, I just miss her very much.

On June 18th, I packed up my apartment and drove 27 hours from Texas to Raleigh, North Carolina. I have family that lives in Raleigh, and I chose to move for several reasons. First, I was laid off from a job I had held for 6 years in mid April. I could no longer support myself, and I was struggling just to put food on my table. Second, I needed a bit of separation from the emotional surroundings. I did not have a support system in San Angelo, and while I did have a few wonderful friends, I needed to be around my family. Third, I needed to go further with my transition and being in Texas was not a healthy environment for me. Leaving my daughters was the hardest decision I have ever had to make, and while I know it was the right one, it is very painful still. I could not provide for myself, let alone them.

On June 21st I started working in my fathers office. I have a lot of management and customer service experience, and he needed someone who could help reorganize, update his paperwork, contact customers, schedule jobs, and do damage control. I am in my element and loving it.

On June 21st I also started HRT! I cannot adequately describe the amount of joy and relief I felt after taking that first dose. I felt like everything was on the path to becoming right in the world, and I am so excited!

Gettting to live as myself, to have people around me call me Megan, and treat me as the person I truly am is an amazing feeling. I have never been so validated and accepted in my life. There are dark spots, sure, like not being with my beautiful daughters, and working through the aftermath of the divorce, but overall my depression has faded and I am so much happier!

Today I wanted to talk about whether or not Jesus accepts the LGBTQA+ Community, because as a Transgender Christian- my faith and salvation are constantly attacked and fall under scrutiny on social media. This is not a “woe is me” post, far from it! I think this is something that we need to be clear on.

Before I begin, I am going to show a few examples of a conversation I had with a gentleman on Twitter this week. To respect his privacy, I have removed his screen name. This isn’t about calling him out, but rather discussing this mindset and belief.

Roman’s 15:7 says that we are to “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

We are all imperfect people, and will not be made otherwise until we finally are in Heaven with God the Father. In choosing love, and to love one another, we are echoing the best example we could ever have been given- Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 1:15 says “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst.”

There isn’t an exception made here. He came to save sinners, all of us. No one of us is better than the next when it comes to sin. Yet, despite this, He still chose to save us from it, and to make us perfect and blameless by His death, and our acceptance of Salvation.

Psalm 139:14 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

God made us, and called us perfect. How does that work with the idea people seem to have that the LGBTQA+ Community are broken, disgusting, and hell-bound individuals?

Ephesians 1:3-6“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption into becoming a child of His through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”

This is perhaps one of my favorite passages of scripture. He chose us to be holy and blameless in his sight! Before the creation of the world he knew that I was going to be Transgender, because he designed me that way, and calls me holy and blameless through Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:21-22 “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”

Read that again. Without blemish and free from accusation. These verses are straight out of the bible, folks. I do not know how to be any clearer than this. We are not condemned, we are loved and accepted by Jesus Christ, and made blameless through His sacrifice.

This post is not going to chance the minds of those who are heartily against the LGBTQA+ Community. Instead, I hope this gives you peace and the ability to know that Jesus loves you. YOU! He accepts you. He made you the way you are, and you are dear to Him.

NOTE: I have decided to write this blog post again, as it is important to me and something I feel that needs to be said. I wrote this over a year ago on my first blog, but unfortunately the blog was deleted. I apologize if you have read something of mine like this before, but I encourage you to read it if you are struggling to connect your Christianity with your Identity.

As I child I was always taught that the LGBTQA+ community was nothing more than sinners who were going to hell. I knew from a very early age (I believe around the age of 5) that I was different, that I was not a boy and that something was terribly wrong. I could not mention this to my parents though, because I was terrified about their reactions. (Hindsight: this was a good idea, they would not have accepted this)

I remember praying so hard as a child that God would change me- that I would wake up in the morning and have my body be transformed into the body of the girl that I was inside. I remember waking up and being devastated that this hadn’t happened. I would sob in secret, and be miserable wondering what was wrong with me.

Over the years I would do my best to hide it- because I was raised in a home and church body that taught me that the LGBTQA+ Community was disgusting and an abomination in the sight of God, and so I felt that in order to honor Him and obey Him I needed to be exactly what I was expected to be.

I wore a mask; I buried everything. I prayed, I sang at church, I even helped in the children’s church, but inside I was a hollow shell. I kept returning to this thought:

“If God created me (which I knew was true), and He doesn’t make mistakes, then why is the Church telling me that to be Transgender is a Sin and wrong? Why would being who I am send me to Hell and eternity without God?”

It seemed to me that there as a contradiction being taught. I decided to study on my own. If I was going to be condemned for being Transgender, I wanted to know why directly from the Bible. I started with the one truth I knew for absolute certain:

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him Shall not Perish but have everlasting life.” This verse is so often quoted that many Christians take it for granted. I read it over and over, letting it soak in. Jesus died so that ANYONE who believes in Him will have everlasting life. There isn’t an exception- there isn’t an “everyone except that particular group” clause mentioned anywhere. This being the case, and truth, how can I be Transgender and a Christian, despite what the church is teaching?

I have conversations with other Christians all the time, mostly on social media. Most of them (probably all, who are we kidding???) will return to the book of Leviticus every time. I have been quoted Leviticus 20:13 (discusses homosexuality) more times than I can count. I am not going to lie, this verse bothered my for some time, and added to my confusion and uncertainty. However, I chose to read and study. (NOTE: I have done extensive study on this particular book of the Bible, so much that I intend to devote one of my next blog posts to it! Stay tuned)

Galatians 3:21-25 – “Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”

I had to read this a few times before it finally sank in. I listened to sermons in the past about the “Old Law”, and that Jesus came to Earth not only to die for our sins, but to establish the “new law” with his people! The old law was put into place to prepare the Jewish people for the arrival of Christ, it is as simple as that. The old rules and requirements were stripped away when Jesus came to restore our relationship with the Father.

John 1:17 – “For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.”

Jesus came to earth to reveal to us God’s unfailing love, His compassion, and his faithfulness. No longer were we bound by the rituals or blood sacrifices as they were given to us (a necessity at the time) by Moses, but to create something new. His death, and the blood that was shed on the cross took over, and covered forever the need for such a sacrifice.

John 13:34 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

This is our new commandment. This is what we are called to do- love one another. Not “judge one another”, not condemn, ostracize, belittle, or verbally abuse others because they may be challenging what we have been taught our entire lives, but to accept and love them.

I have said all of this, to make this point. I am a daughter of Jesus Christ, I am accepted and loved by Him. His sacrifice was as much for me as it was for you. He does not condemn me, and I refuse to hide who I am because it may offend people in the church. I am not the “model Christian”. I make mistakes, I am certainly not perfect. I have simply reconciled my faith with my being a Transgender woman. I am one of Christ’s children, and nothing or no one can take that away.

I still want to honor Him always with my actions. I want to love the unlovable, because I was one of those unlovable people until I accepted Christ. Maybe that is the reason that I am here, why I am going through all of this so that I can share my story, and show that God loves you no matter what you are going through. All I know for certain is that I am not forsaken, lost, or unwanted. I have a Savior who wants me, Transgender or otherwise. That, to me, is everything.

Is there a reason for our pain? It’s hard to see clearly sometimes, even if we know that there is a purpose for our life. In the midst of whatever we are going through it is so much easier to cling to the present pain instead of trusting that there IS a better tomorrow coming.

My name is Megan, and I am a Transgender Christian woman. I have blogged before and told my story, and while I will most certainly be writing it again, that isn’t my purpose for tonight.

My hope is that if you are struggling with something this evening, you will read this and be comforted. First, please know that you are not alone- not even for an instant. I promise I am not being cliché, the fact is that our Father in Heaven is always looking out for us.

Psalms 34:18 – “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

1 Peter 5:9-10 “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

Christian leader Jerry Bridges said “God never allows pain without a purpose in the lives of His children. He never allows Satan, nor circumstances, nor an ill-intending person to afflict us unless He uses that affliction for our good. God never wastes pain. he always causes it to work together for our ultimate good, the good of conforming us more to the likeness of His Son (see Romans 8:28-29)”

This does not mean that we will be painless in our lives, nor that we will never experience suffering. What we CAN be assured though, is that what we are going through has a purpose and that He is always with us.

It doesn’t matter what your situation is. The same thing applies to any and all. Please know that I am speaking as someone who has/is/will endured pain. I am not perfect, I do not always remember to trust in the middle of my circumstances. However we serve a God that is faithful, forgiving, and forever with us. How comforting is that?

This is just a short post tonight- hopefully I will have time tomorrow to write some more.